It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for the Thursday Movie Picks feature. This series is hosted by Wandering through the Shelves and offers you a weekly prompt to post some movie recommendations/talking points according to the theme. Usually, you are supposed to post about 3-5 examples, which I find a very manageable amount.
The entirety of October is dedicated to a special Halloween Edition, meaning we’ll take a look at themes through the lens of Spooktober! This week is all about Horror Comedies, which is something I can get behind more than just plain scary stuff. To be fair, I’m not sure all the movies really fit the category, but imdb put them under horror and comedy, so I thought that would be alright.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
I remember getting the DVD because it was on sale and then watching that movie for the first time alone at home, and I might have been glad no one was there. At that point, I had no idea how iconic it was, but it was fun and it stuck with me.
Ready or Not
I’ve seen this one so many times now? I really didn’t expect to like it as much as I did and while I think the ending is in no way good for Grace, she was amazing and so was the movie. I still wish Daniel didn’t have to die though.
The Babysitter
I thought I’d mind this one way more. It’s super silly, but I actually laughed quite a bit during this one. I do tune out a lot of the violence though, it turns out. I even watched the sequel! Not that it was all that great, but I did watch them both.
Warm Bodies
In general, I wouldn’t consider myself a zombie fan, but I liked this one. It’s not so much a comedy as it is a romance, but still. There’s a certain kind of sweetness to it and I enjoyed that.
Death Becomes Her
Look at me bringing in some classics this week! This movie was made before I was even born, but I’m pretty sure I have watched it as a kid … like I remember the whole in the body and the turned around head? How young was I when I first watched it!? I’m now questioning some stuff …
Life and Other Disasters 
I’m so glad to know I wasn’t the only kid watching not so appropriate movies. Death Becomes Her still holds up by the way. It isn’t great but it’s still so funny and entertaining. I love to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show as I adore that movie!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I mostly watched non-age-appropriate TV shows, but sometimes movies slipped through as well haha rarely anything terrifying in my eyes, but I can totally see Death Becomes Her holding up! Glad you are a fellow Rocky Horror Picture Show fan.
LikeLike
I’ve only seen your first and last picks though I’ve heard of Warm Bodies.
Death Becomes Her is made so much better by the expert performances of Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis all just cutting loose with the material.
I saw Rocky Horror for the first time at a midnight showing with a reenactment happening under the screen, spray bottles, rolls of paper towels being tossed…the full experience. It was a crazy quilt experience and the movie has never been as good without it. Tim Curry really goes for broke with his work.
This month is a challenge for me each week but this one was slightly easier since light horror comedy was not uncommon in 40’s films and the scares much more mild, which is what works for me. That said I have a sort of theme within the theme since all of mine happen in “The Old Dark House” so beloved by horror fans.
Hold That Ghost (1941)-Inheriting a mobster’s dilapidated country tavern rumored to contain hidden treasure through an odd set of circumstances Chuck Murray and Ferdie Jones (Abbott & Costello) find themselves trapped there on a dark and stormy night. Along with some other stranded travelers the boys live through a night of wacky shenanigans including a ghost, hidden doors and a couple of vanishing detectives while looking for the loot. One of A&C’s better films, you even get a couple of musical numbers by The Andrews Sisters.
You’ll Find Out (1940)-Heiress Janis Bellacrest (Helen Parrish) books Kay Kyser (Kay Kyser) and his big band “The Kollege of Musical Knowledge” including singer Ginny Simms and Ish Kabibble to play her 21st birthday party at her country mansion. When an intense storm blows in the band finds themselves stuck along with Janis, her eccentric Aunt Margo (Alma Kruger) and trio of questionable “friends” professor Fenniger (Peter Lorre), Prince Soliano (Bela Lugosi) and Judge Mainwaring (Boris Karloff) as things go bump in the night. A trifle overlong but a chance to see three horror giants playing for laughs.
The Ghost Breakers (1940)-Inheriting a distant relative’s supposedly haunted castle of an isolated island off the Cuban coast young Mary Carter (Paulette Goddard) decides to take possession despite a stranger’s (Anthony Quinn) warning to stay away. Setting sail Mary finds radio announcer Larry Lawrence (Bob Hope), on the lam because he thinks he’s bumped off a gangster’s henchman, stowed away in her trunk. Amid pratfalls and wisecracks Mary & Larry team up to get to the bottom of the voodoo magic, zombies and ghosts that curse the spooky estate.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Who knew the 1940s held so many horror comedy movies!? I sure didn’t.
I can only imagine how awesome that screening of Rocky Horror must have been!
LikeLike
Ready or Not is SUCH a good pick, that movie totally took me by surprise. I’m ashamed to admit I’ve never seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but it’s always been on my watchlist! I don’t know what’s stopping me, to be honest.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed Ready or Not and how often I’ve seen it by now haha
Oh well, we all have those popular movies/books etc. we never get around to.
LikeLike
I’m a huge fan of Freaky, which is just such a funny movie. And the director’s other horror-comedies, Happy Death Day and Happy Death Day 2 U, are also decent. And there was one I remember seeing years ago called Cooties that was like Shaun of the Dead but with children turned into zombies. It was funny for the most part. As was Shaun of the Dead.
I never really got into Rocky Horror. Yeah, the music is fun, but by the third act I’m always bored. Warm Bodies is a lot of fun, though. Still waiting for that sequel, though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
As I’ve used Freaky in a previous post, I didn’t want to mention it again, but I can see how I’d like it like that too. I still haven’t watched the Happy Death Day movies, but those are some I think I can stomach.
LikeLike
You should do an entire post about all three movies once you watch them.
LikeLike
I might, but I think it’s more likely that they’ll eventually end up in a “What I’ve Been (Binge-)Watching” post.
LikeLike
Either way, I’ll try to read it. Assuming I’m not traveling or otherwise occupied, of course.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Of course, thank you for your support!
LikeLike
You’re welcome. ☺️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Horror Comedy is definitely an area I want to check out more. I think the mix can work really well– ready or not is one I really want to watch so I am happy to hear you enjoyed it !! I would also like to check out the final girls (2015), it isn’t a movie I have heard a lot about but I think the premise sounds really interesting!! One that I think can count as horror-comedy that I have watched is one cut of the dead– it is a unique film but I liked watching it. It is in three parts and you have to watch all three to get the movie because in the first part you might be tempted to turn it off but you’ll get it later. It is kinda weird but still.. good in its way 🤣 Thank you for all the recs !! 💖
LikeLiked by 1 person
I heard really good things about Final Girls and how it makes fun of, but also plays into that trope really well. I hope you’ll enjoy all the movies you set your mind on watching. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I haven’t seen your first pick but have seen all the rest…they’re definitely horror comedy or horror with a lot of dark humor…which totally counts. I’ve seen the sequel of The Babysitter movie too, though I prefer the first.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great pics
LikeLike